Iron-type golf club heads may generally be classified into “blade” and “perimeter-weighted” categories, Perimeter-weighted iron-type club heads may have a substantial concentration of mass distributed behind the striking face in the form of at least one peripheral wall, sometimes called the perimeter-weighting element. A perimeter-weighted iron-type golf club head may also be referred to as a “cavity-back” iron head, or simply a “cavity-back”, because the perimeter-weighting element generally delimits a cavity in the rear portion of the club head opposite the striking face.
An important performance aspect of cavity-back irons is the tactile feedback communicated to the player at ball impact. To reduce undesirable dynamic excitation synonymous with mishit shots, the perimeter-weighting element of a cavity-back club head may be provided with a complementary vibration-damping member. Features for retention of the vibration-damping member may be integrally incorporated into the head to provide a secure coupling of the vibration-damping member to the club head. The added weight of these retention features may adversely affect the mass properties of the club head, negatively impacting performance. Moreover, potentially complex geometries of the retention features may increase manufacturing complexity and cost.